Bloodstream (Camren)

Chapter 16

Lauren's POV

I shouldn't try to look for him; this would be a really bad idea. Even if I wanted to I couldn't. All I could think about was everything that happened before he left home. All the unnecessary drama, the yelling, fighting, worry. I couldn't go through this again. I had to tell someone I saw him though and Logan would be the last person I would tell. He hates Chris with every fiber of his being since Chris lashed out at him years ago. I wouldn't tell Emma either because she could always tell Logan about it, they're an open book to each other. The person I really wanted to be with right now was Camila. She's the first person that popped into my mind actually. She kind of knows about the Chris situation but not the whole story so maybe I could sit down and talk to her about it.
I walked back down the street and walked into Camila's shop, she was in her spot behind the desk doodling on a napkin, she was concentrated, nibbling on her bottom lip; she was in her own world. She had the resemblance of a little kid coloring in a preschool, making sure to stay in the lines. It was an endearing sight. I walked up to her quietly and placed my guitar down.

"Whatcha drawing?" I said in almost a whisper and peeked at the napkin. Before I could see what she was drawing she looked up quickly and hid the napkin behind her back.

"Nothing." She muttered.

"Let me see!" I reached over grabbing her arm but she smacked it away, she looked shy all of the sudden, embarrassed in a way.

"You're gonna laugh at me." She pouted and looked at me.

"I won't, I promise." I crossed my arms and she slowly placed the napkin on the counter and pushed it closer to me. I picked up the napkin and smiled, I felt my face heat up instantly and my stomach was going crazy with butterflies. 'Lauren' was writing in bubble letters and she was drawing little hearts all around my name, I tried my hardest not to laugh when I looked at her and saw that she was hiding under the counter.

"You're so cute, what are you in 6th grade?" I teased and I heard her sigh, she slowly peeked up and I stuck my tongue out at her.

"Shush."

"I'm keeping this by the way." I said folding it up and putting it in my pocket.

"No give it back!"

"No, I'm framing it." I winked and she did a grunt making the most amusing expression I had ever seen, I giggled at how cute she was.

"Don't show anyone it." She warned gesturing her finger at me.

"Trust me." I grabbed her finger and shook it lightly.

"Are you busy? I see that you're not since you were writing my name and drawing hearts next to it." I teased and she covered her face.

"I don't like you!"

"Not what the napkin says."

"Okay God get over it." She walked over to me from the counter and pointed to an empty table. I followed, she sat down and I sat across from her.

"I'm on my break starting now; I'm the boss so I make the rules." She winked and smirked at me.

"Yeah whatever. I wanted to talk to you."

"Shoot." She said placing her elbows on the table and rested her head on her hands, focusing her gaze on my face.

"Okay well I was going home from my gig and I saw Chris, at least I think it was Chris, I'm 95% sure it was him."

"Your brother Chris?"

"Yes."

"So he's alive, that's good, how did he look?"

I played with my fingers and bit down on my lip. "Like absolute shit, he looks like he hasn't showered in weeks."

"Wait so what's the Chris thing, all I know is he left home at a young age and you didn't hear from him more." She asked and I nodded.

"Well as I had said he hung out with the wrong crowd. Logan and I tried to help him but nothing good came out of that, he even got my friends involved in his stupid shit and well we don't really talk anymore because of Chris. One day he just left, we looked all over Miami for him and we couldn't find him. Logan and I then just tried to move on from it and forget about it, we moved here and started a new life, new friends. It's like if Chris didn't exist to us. About a year ago my friend Rick called and said that he saw Chris but we didn't believe him. Many of my friends have called asking me about Chris but I always just dismiss the topic."

"What did he do to you?"

"I was worried about him at all times, we had many overdose scares with him, every time we tried for him to get help he would yell and want to pick fights, he got in a big fist fight with Logan one day and he pulled out a knife on Logan, luckily I got there before anything could happen. My parents were too busy to even know what was going on with him."

"Oh my God, wait is Rick and the rest of your friends from here or the ones from Miami? How do they know?"

"Well I met Rick, he works at the guitar shop down the street and well my other friends Normani, Fran and Tommy I met at a bar. I should call them up sometime and we'll hang out. You'll like them. I met them all here and well the Chris thing was brought up."

She smiles and takes her bottom lip into her mouth. "I do warn you though; if Tommy tries to hit on you he's dead. He's the flirty type."

She laughed and puts one arm down and rests her face in her other hand. "You're voice is really nice, keep talking, tell me about your friends or I don't know."

"Oh really? Well I like your voice too so you should talk now."

"You first." I raised an eyebrow and let out a breath.

"Alright, well Fran and Normani are pretty much models, Fran is Ricky's girlfriend and Normani has an on and off thing with Tommy but he's too much of a flirt. That's it you're turn."

"Well I have Ally and Dinah, they're friends from San Fran and well this girl I met here, she's really hot but I wouldn't consider her much of a friend." I gave her a cheeky grin and crossed my arms, I leaned back a bit on my chair.

"Tell me more about this friend you don't consider a friend."

"Well she plays guitar and has an amazing voice, she has these killer eyes, everytime I look at them I feel like a little piece of me dies, and she's a good kisser, great pillow, she's not funny though."

"Hey! I'm very funny."

"Wasn't talking about you."

"At least I don't have a secret box... Ouch..."

"I thought we were over this!" I laughed and held my stomach.

"I never forget sweetcheeks." I looked over her head quickly and saw Logan come into the shop, he looked pissed.

"Lauren Michelle." He said rushing to our table.

"We need to talk."